Programs designed to replace traditional mulesing with welfare-improved practices:

4. Welfare-improved surgery with pain relief

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A large proportion of farmers have adopted welfare-improved surgery with pain relief.

There have been major developments to allow the practice of traditional mulesing without pain relief to be replaced by a more humane procedure, while longer term breeding programmes are underway. These include (1) accreditation and training of practitioners, and (2) the use of effective pain relief treatments.

1. Accreditation and training: It is preferred that all practitioners be accredited through the National Mulesing Assurance programme, in which they are trained in best practice minimal technique, and in handling lambs with minimal stress and optimal recovery.
2. Pain relief and wound care treatments: A treatment is now available to provide pain relief and wound care. This provides a dramatic and significant improvement in animal welfare. See Lomax, S., Sheil, M. and Windsor P.A (2008). Impact of topical anaesthesia on pain alleviation and wound healing in lambs after mulesing. Australian Veterinary Journal, 86,159–168.

A wound pain relief and antiseptic agent is now available to alleviate pain and protect against wound infection. It also contains a strong agent to prevent bleeding.

The procedure itself takes a matter of seconds. The topical anaesthetic agent is applied and immediately goes to work to eliminate pain and provide wound anaesthesia. The effect is seen within 30 seconds and has been shown to last for more than eight hours. Lambs demonstrate few if any signs of discomfort in the hours after the procedure and it significantly reduces the cortisol stress response.

There has been rapid adoption of this formulation since its commercial release in 2005.

Research is continuing to further enhance the pain relief options.

R&D to develop an effective pre-operative analgesic agent is also underway. Pre-operative administration of Carprofen enhances the analgesic effect of the post-operative topical wound pain relief and abolishes the cortisol response.

AWI is continuing to invest in R&D to develop effective pre-operative analgesia and to enhance the range of and accessibility of pain relief medications for sheep, including non steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and alpha-2-agonists.